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| November 5, 2012 |
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Begich gears up for Veterans Day
events in Alaska
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Sen. Begich meets with Fairbanks veterans - Sen. Begich is participating in a number of events focused on celebrating Alaska’s veterans during the coming week.
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The national and statewide elections are tomorrow, so I want to start this message by reminding all Alaskans to vote. There’s a great deal on the line regardless of your party or ideological beliefs – when Congress reconvenes on November 13, it faces a monumental task. Without immediate, substantive agreement and progress, $1.2 trillion in automatic budget cuts will occur – unless Congress devises an alternative plan by Jan. 2, 2013. This is what’s being called “sequestration,” and you’ll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming weeks. I’ve published an editorial piece in several papers statewide on the subject, and it offers a bit more information on my perspective about what’s needed to address our country’s staggering national debt and the impending cuts. My office has developed an easy-to-understand fact sheet on these automatic budget cuts you can view on my website – please take a look and contact one of my six offices statewide if you have questions.
I’m headed back to Alaska on Friday but before that I have a special opportunity to greet members of the Alaska National Guard B Company, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) at the Indianapolis Airport after a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. These are our citizen soldiers from all over Alaska, including rural villages, and this will be a great opportunity to express in person how much their service means to Alaska and our country.
I head from Indianapolis back to Alaska for several days, which I’ll split between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The week will be dedicated to honoring our military veterans in a variety of different events, including a Women Veterans Day ceremony on Friday in Anchorage. Did you know Alaska was the first state in the nation to specifically recognize its women veterans? The Alaska Legislature created the official holiday in 2000 in honor of the 11 percent of Alaska veterans who are women.
Check out the events listed at right and drop by if you have a chance during any of these public events. I look forward to hearing from Alaskans before Congress reconvenes and the hard work of addressing the budget deficit gets underway.
Sincerely,
Senator Mark Begich
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| Fairbanksans mourn the loss of a local legend |
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Sen. Begich joined with Fairbanksans this week in mourning the loss of the legendary Ruby Riddles, known to most locals simply as “Miss Ruby.” Riddles died November 1 at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. She moved to the Interior from South Carolina, and her southern drawl and welcoming spirit earned her the official designation of “Fairbanks hostess” from both the City Council and the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. She had near-perfect attendance at all variety of city meetings, military redeployment ceremonies and public celebrations, and her loss was felt throughout the Interior this week. Begich will be in Fairbanks for a number of meetings and events November 12 as part of a trip to Alaska before Congress reconvenes for the lame-duck session November 13.
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Fairbanks’ official hostess, Ruby Riddles - Sen. Begich and Fairbanks staffer Tom Moyer got a photo with Fairbanks’ famous Ms. Ruby in February during a town hall meeting about keeping F-16s at Eielson Air Force Base. She will be sorely missed by the community she loved so dearly.
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KSRM radio listeners call in to talk to Sen. Begich - Duane Bannock, host of the “Tall, Dark and Handsome Hour” on KSRM radio in Kenai prepares to go live with Sen. Begich. Kenai office staffer Kim Howard is also pictured.
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| Begich welcomes home members of 4-25 |
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Last Thursday marked the formal redeployment ceremony for the 3,500 members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Sen. Begich participated in the ceremony via a recorded message from Washington, D.C. “Each and every one of you – all 3,500 Spartans – carried the fight to those who would do our nation harm,” Sen. Begich said. “In doing so, you have made the world a safer place for those who love freedom and democracy.” Based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the brigade returned to Alaska over the last several weeks after a year-long deployment in Afghanistan during which they worked to improve security, detain insurgents, train Afghan forces and conduct outreach. The 4-25 served in Paktya, Khowst and eastern Paktika, provinces along Afghanistan’s southeastern border with Pakistan, and eight paratroopers lost their lives during the deployment.
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Sen. Begich tours Alaska Ship & Drydock in Ketchikan - Sen. Begich visited Alaska Ship & Dry Dock in Ketchikan in October as part of an economic-development tour of Southeast Alaska in October.
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Eagle River High School students with Sen. Begich - Sen. Begich addressed students at Eagle River High School on a trip to Southcentral Alaska in October.
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| Looming in lame duck: Fiscal cliff and implications for Alaska |
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With Congress returning to Washington, D.C., next week after the election, all eyes turn to the nation’s economy and keeping the recovery going. Without action, taxes could go up for all Americans as $1.2 trillion in automatic budget cuts start kicking in. Senator Begich plans to continue pushing a three-point plan: 1) responsible budget cuts to reduce the deficit; 2) tax reform including asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share; and 3) smart investment in education, public facilities and energy. He believes this plan will make us competitive worldwide, create new jobs and bring back jobs from overseas.
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